Just My Thoughts
by uwprincess
Summary: These follow Setup and Countdown- told from other character perspectives but about Caskett.
1. Agent Fallon

These follow Setup and Countdown- told from other character perspectives but about Caskett.

The first is from Agent Fallon's perspective…I named his wife, who was said to have died in the second tower, Karen-

I leaned against the desk waiting for Captain Montgomery to say his peace before I began my debrief. I had a lot of respect for the men and women in authority positions at the various precincts where I have been assigned. I know it isn't easy for them to hand over their squad to a stranger and I do my best to treat that delicate situation with respect. When it comes to my assignments from the Department of Homeland Security, I literally face matters of life and death, and I make no apologies for the authority I demand and employ in order to save lives.

So as I wait to deliver news that never gets any easier to process or explain, I see her eyes flicker. Detective Kate Beckett stands across from me and though it is slight, I notice a sudden glimmer of relief that crosses her face and an invisible weight that lifts from her shoulders. I glance across the room and see the author, Richard Castle, joining the rear of the crowd.

I remember how my Karen could do that for me. I could be in the middle of an awful day and just pick up the phone and hear her voice and I would instantly feel better; that is, until my last phone call with her tore my life to pieces.

I push the haunting memories from mind for the hundredth time on that day alone, and I get back to the case at hand. I have been briefed on the personnel at the 12th and I am none too eager to have a celebrity along for the ride. I glance at the writer and notice that his eyes are trained on Beckett as I begin to discuss the situation with the group.

When I am finished, I am not surprised to find Mr. Castle at Detective Beckett's desk. I deliver the verdict that he shouldn't be around when he throws the damn governor in my face. I don't have time to play politics so I let the man stay.

His presence, though annoying to me, may prove to be helpful as I have already determined that I am going to need Beckett's help on this case in a most particular manner. The nature of my job is not pretty, and because of the emotional weight it carries, she might just need the crutch that this Castle seems to provide for her. I have an uneasy feeling, but I make a mental note to just keep an extra eye on the civilian.

It wasn't long before I realized my instincts had been right. I picked up my cell only to be advised by my surveillance team that the idiot novelist was drinking a non-fat latte with one of my suspects across town. I quickly called the governor's office and silently cursed myself for having to devote even once second of my time to the investigation of this man.

When he and Kate Beckett exchanged secret whispers while crossing towards me in the hall my heart felt a mixture of anger that they had betrayed me, and jealousy that they had each other to lean on in times like this. There is not a situation that occurs, good, bad or routine, where I don't wish that I had my Karen back to share it with.

I pulled them into the office and kicked them off the case. As pissed as I was, there was a part of me that was hoping they would go home and enjoy each other in what could be their last hours together. I bit my tongue to keep from telling him to just go screw her and leave the rest of us lonely bastards to work the case…you can call it professionalism, I guess I just realized it wasn't the time or the place. She hadn't put up a fight…in fact she answered without hesitation that she had known what he was up to. They were a team, there was no denying it and she didn't try.

So imagine my surprise when I pulled up to an active police scene, hours later, and found Kate Beckett defrosting in the arms of another man. A doctor, and apparently her boyfriend, I sensed and uneasy acceptance of this man in her life by the surrounding group of tight knit cops. Castle was lying motionless on a stretcher in an ambulance across the way and I watched as Beckett's focus would stray to his body and then back to her friend.

I left shortly after the bomb was not discovered at this location and returned only when both agents of the rogue team were conscious and ready to talk.

I didn't apologize, because I didn't feel that they deserved it, but I did appreciate their stubbornness because Karen always accused me of the same thing. Once I caught a case, I couldn't rest until I had tracked down EVERY lead. She would complain, but she often helped me talk it out until we reached the truth together.

It was weird, but I could see that connection in these two people before me. I make it a point to not get personal on my many assignments, but this time, I just couldn't let the opportunity pass to say something.

I got rid of Kate, I told her to go see her doctor and I watched as Castle's heart crossed the parking lot and walked into another man's embrace. I had to say it, I knew that life was just too short to let this kind of thing go, so I told him…

"You know, it's funny, when I first met you two, I thought you were together."

And I listened as he lied… "no, just…just friends."


	2. Lanie and Esposito

This is Lanie and Esposito, also after Countdown...

He rolled over and hugged her tightly to his chest as she laughed incredulously…

"So there was the potential of a dirty bomb going to blow us up, and the best thing you could think of was to tell me to visit my mama?"

"Look it" he started, trying to hide his smirk but finding her so adorable that he couldn't stop the grin…"I didn't know what to say. You tell me what to say that means get out of the city and don't look back, and next time I will say it!"

"How about there is a sale at the Coach Outlet in West Palm Springs…everything's a dollar!" Lanie laughed and traced circles on his chest as he ran his hand through her hair.

They got quite as they thought of the possibility of this happening again. At the thought that it had happened before and they didn't even know it.

"We got lucky today, huh, Baby?" She asked.

"Yeah, we did. We were lucky that Castle had balls of steel."

She rolled up on her elbow so she could look him in the eyes…"Tell me what they said again?" she asked.

Esposito put his arms above his head and took a breath…"She said he stopped, looked at her, and grabbed all the wires and just yanked 'em!"

He shook his head as he pictured Castle's moment of stupidity turning into another chance at life.

Again, they were quite until Lanie broke the silence. "Huh."

"What?" Esposito questioned.

"So she said he stopped and looked at her, right?"

"Yeah…so." Esposito shrugged.

"Well, I know what he was thinking at that moment." She said smugly, laying her head back down on his chest.

"What's that?" He questioned with mocking disbelief in his tone.

"That he loves her!" Lanie delivered the line with triumph and complete satisfaction.

"Hummph" Esposito grinned and rubbed her arm…"Right".

He knew better than to argue with Lanie on the issue of Kate Beckett and Castle.


End file.
